Ted Sarneso stories, Page 6
Chartiers Valley wrestlers hitting their stride at right time
When speaking about his wrestlers and the season they’ve been having, Chartiers Valley coach Bill Evans brought up a quote he recently read: “Your culture is not words on a website or posted on the wall. It’s how your people feel on Sunday night.” The quote references how the members...
Chartiers Valley’s Domi Crowley vaulting to new heights
For someone who spends a lot of time in the air, Chartiers Valley senior pole vaulter Domi Crowley is very grounded. That’s because the humbling nature of his sport and the training involved. Crowley is training in a Monroeville warehouse with Danny Smith, one of several coaches he seeks guidance...
Mt. Pleasant swimming sweeps 2A titles at WCCAs; Franklin Regional boys, Latrobe girls win in 3A
In the final Westmoreland County Coaches Association swimming meet of their high school careers, the Mt. Pleasant senior quartet of Lily King, Kiersten O’Connor, David Mutter and Joseph Gardner went out in style Saturday. Three of the four set records as the Vikings boys and girls teams finished second out...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Knoch’s Neah Ewing, Kiski Area’s Travis Shearer
Neah Ewing School: Knoch Class: Junior Sport: Basketball Claim to fame: Ewing led the Knights (8-8, 7-2) with 17 points in a 47-40 win over Burrell on Monday night. The junior guard then tallied 15 points in a 39-33 win versus Highlands on Thursday night. Both wins helped move Knoch...
Despite successes, Fox Chapel boys still working to put together best game
Fox Chapel boys basketball coach Zach Skrinjar is proud of his team for doing two things well this season. The first is watching his players come together as one. “This group has really grown together, built a camaraderie,” Skrinjar said. “We have had a good mix when it comes to...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Highlands’ Kyren Veasley
Whenever Highlands senior wrestler Kyren Veasley transferred from Valley two years ago, he had all the talent to be a great wrestler. “Kyren is one kid that I can honestly say, he’s a good wrestler no matter how he wrestles,” coach Grant Walters said. “Sometimes he’s a little more methodical....
Hempfield bowlers dominate WCCA tournament; Valley’s Diehm wins boys title
For the second year in a row, the Hempfield bowling team took three of the four championships handed out at the Westmoreland County Coaches Association championships Saturday at Hillview Lanes in Greensburg. Junior Ashley Bensur rolled a three-game score of 606 to secure the girls individual title after finishing fourth...
Fox Chapel hockey sharpening game as playoffs approach
It could be said that the Fox Chapel hockey team had reached a crossroads five games into the season. After suffering back-to-back one-goal losses against Canon-McMillan and Bishop McCort, the Foxes were 3-2 and were about to face always tough and talented Penn-Trafford. “That was the game we come back...
Pine-Richland swimmers working hard to reach goals
When asked what his expectations were for his Pine-Richland swimming team this season, coach Pete Barry said, “We don’t want to call them expectations. Setting expectations that are too high sets you up for a big fall.” Instead, Barry wants his team to focus on the goals they’ve set for...
With plenty of hockey left, Pine-Richland aiming for playoff spot
Flashback to a year ago and through 13 games, the Pine-Richland hockey team had 17 points and was in second place in the PIHL Class 3A standings and was a lock to make the playoffs. Last year’s squad went on to capture the Penguins Cup with a win over North...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: St. Joseph’s Gia Richter, Burrell’s Luke Boylan
Gia Richter School: St. Joseph Class: Senior Sport: Basketball Claim to fame: Richter scored 22 points in a 70-36 win over Section 1-A foe Springdale on Monday. The point guard also had 22 points and sank five 3-pointers in St. Joseph’s win against Sewickley Academy last Thursday. How did it...
Hempfield bowling rolling through season, sets lofty goals
The Hempfield bowling team enjoyed plenty of success in the 2023-24 season. The girls team finished first in its section with a 10-0 record and had sophomores Amelia Droste (first) and Ashley Bensur (fifth) seeded in the top five in the WPIBL individual tournament. Droste also finished as a WPIBL...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Valley’s Janelle Norman
At the midway point of the 2024-25 season, the Valley girls basketball team was 1-10. But there was no negativity among its coaches or players, particularly from senior captain and 6-foot-2 forward Janelle Norman. “Me and my teammates come out and play our hardest for the sport we love,” said...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Springdale’s Ashlyn Ferderbar, Cheswick Christian’s Joe Rosio
Ashlyn Ferderbar School: Springdale Class: Senior Sport: Basketball Claim to fame: Ferderbar scored 16 points Wednesday night to help Springdale (7-7, 4-2) to a 32-29 section win over Sewickley Academy. The senior point guard then led all scorers with 18 points in the Dynamos’ 42-31 win over Western Beaver. The...
Burrell boys basketball striving for better results in season’s 2nd half
When the season began, Burrell boys basketball Mike Fantuzzo knew it would take time for his team to mesh. After the Bucs’ 78-46 win against Freeport on Tuesday night, he believes the team finally has learned to play together. “I think it was a game where we’re starting to click...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Cheswick Christian Academy’s Keith Booth
Cheswick Christian Academy senior forward Keith Booth picked a perfect time to go out for the basketball team last year. “I always liked basketball, and all my friends were playing, and I wanted to play with them,” Booth said. “For a lot of my friends, it was their senior season,...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Apollo-Ridge’s Tyler Bartell
At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Apollo-Ridge senior Tyler Bartell is an imposing figure on the basketball court, not just to opposing players but to his own teammates in practice. “Everyone is scared to come down low when I’m in the paint,” he said. When asked why even his teammates are...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Plum’s Riley Stephans, Deer Lakes’ Nathaniel Moore
Riley Stephans School: Plum Class: Junior Sport: Basketball Claim to fame: Stephans scored a career-high 26 points to lead Plum (1-4, 0-1) to a 56-40 upset victory over Kiski Area (5-1) in nonsection play Monday night. What were your feelings after scoring a career high in points in a huge...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Kiski Area’s Bella Horcicak
The last few years for Kiski Area senior Bella Horcicak have been about the search for the right fit. Last year, the guard transferred to St. Joseph as she sought an environment that suited her. “I always struggled, at Kiski and I don’t know why,” Horcicak said. “It was a...
Chartiers Valley wrestling looking to rebound with international flair
When you walk down the steps into the depths of the Chartiers Valley gymnasium and wind your way through the hallways, you’ll eventually find the Colts wrestling practice rooms. On your way to the rooms, you pass a weight room on your right that is partitioned off from the hallway...
Chartiers Valley swimming aims high with largest roster in a decade
Last year, the Chartiers Valley girls swim team fell just short of its goal of winning back-to-back section titles, suffering a single section loss to Montour. Even though it was disappointing, coach Morgan Soulia said the failure to reach that goal did not diminish what the team accomplished during the...
We Serve First all-star event shows continued growth in 2024 event
There is always a fire and good competition at the We Serve First Volleyball All-Star Classic, but some years outshine others. Tim Toy saw first hand after Friday night’s practice just what this year’s group would bring to the event Saturday at Kiski Area High School. “All the girls came...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: St. Joseph’s Kasey Cienik, Deer Lakes’ Ryan Grunden
Kasey Cienik School: St. Joseph Class: Junior Sport: Basketball Claim to fame: Cienik scored 22 points in her team’s 47-29 win over Apollo-Ridge on Monday and followed that performance with a 24-point effort in a 71-47 win over Highlands on Wednesday. She scored 14 points Friday night in a 51-21...
Freeport hockey looking to turn season around in 2nd half
Expectations within the Freeport hockey program were high entering this season. Last year’s team went 5-10-3-2 and graduated just one senior, which meant bringing back an experienced team looking to make some noise in Class A. But sometimes the hockey gods just aren’t in your corner. This year’s Yellowjackets have...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Deer Lakes’ Jake Bradley
One of the first things new Deer Lakes hockey coach Ty Ulanowicz noticed when he took over this season was one of the players being all business when he was on the ice. “Time and time again, I saw this player being the first one ready for the next drill,”...
